My Passion for the Hanbok

Happy New Year everyone! Well, the much awaited new year of 2010 has finally dawned upon us. 1^st January 2010 also marked the beginning of the Visit Korea year 2010 – 2012, (actually 3 years).If you want to come to Korea, now’s the best time to come. So, where did you go to see the 1^st sunrise of the year? Made any wishes? Hope they will come true for you.

In many Korean communities, the New Year is celebrated twice; on 1^st January (mostly the Christians) and again on Solnal which falls on the 1^st day of the 1^st month of the lunar calendar. This year, Solnal will be celebrated on 14^th February which coincides with Valentine’s Day. Talking about the New Year brings me to the subject of the Hanbok, something which is very close to my heart, in fact you could call it a passion of mine. That’s why I’ve put a picture of a lovely Korean lady in a Hanbok to enhance my blog page. I do have a picture of myself in a Hanbok but I’m not that pretty; so the present picture stays for as long as I have this blog going.

And that is why I’m not going to take you on any sightseeing tour today. Instead I’m going to take you on a journey with me down the ‘Hanbok Trail’. We are going to trace the history of the Hanbok, the National Costume of Korea. To study the history of a national costume is to understand the culture and characteristics of that particular nation. As for the Hanbok, the Koreans have managed to preserve the basic design of their traditional attire through the ages. And their ability to do so can be attributed to their strong sense of national identity. Behind the graceful design is the long history of Korea.

Lee Young-hee, one of Korea's most renowned Hanbok designers, once said “the Hanbok represents the national characteristics of the Korean people. The open arms of the 'jeogori' or bolero-like jacket represent Koreans' warmth and natural embrace. The voluminous form of the 'chima,' or wraparound skirt, symbolizes space and freedom, making the Hanbok universally easy to wear, no matter what body type one has.”

The Hanbok is not what you would call “sexy” as it is not ‘form-fitting’ but rather free flowing, with its voluminous skirts, yet it is elegant and makes the wearer look so graceful and sometimes, even sophisticated.

The Hanbok is not convenient to wear in modern day life. But for the people of Korea deep within their hearts, these costumes are the token of a thousand-year-old cultural heritage, and which should be carefully handed down.

Traditional costumes remind people of their ancestors, of the country's hard but grand history. This makes them very important at ancestral ceremonies, special festivals, and even during birthdays.

The type of hanbok currently worn by Koreans can be divided into daily wear, ritual wear, and costumes for special purposes/occasions. Nowadays, it is mostly the older generation who wear the hanbok as their daily apparel.

   

The traditional male costume features a Chogori/jeogori top and paji, loose-fitting pants. The chogori used to be longer in ancient times. Changes in paji styles have reflected transformations in lifestyles. Early paji had narrow legs, but as Koreans gave up their nomadic hunting life, the legs grew wider. The murals from the Goguryo tombs suggest that both men and women wore loose-fitting paji. The width or length of the pants and color may have indicated social status.




The modern woman's hanbok consists of a Chogori/jeogori, (a bolero-like blouse), and a ch'ima or a wrap-around type of long skirt. The Chogori is characterized by its long and large sleeves extending from drop shoulders, a stand-up collar with a detachable collar strip and a ribbon sash tied right in front of the chest to form the Otkorum (the bow).

The chogori has undergone many changes over the centuries, especially in the  length, collar treatment and the use of sashes.
        

In ancient times, chogori hung to the hips or longer, had contrasting borders at the collar and sleeves, and were tied at the waist. Paintings from the mid-Choson period showed women wearing chogori cut to the waist, but by the late Choson period, chogori stopped at the armpit and had longer front panels to cover the breasts. By the mid-20^th century the chogori had lengthened somewhat.



The traditional Korean skirt is called the ch'ima. It has a high, pleated waistband which is tied by long sashes above the chest. The result is a voluminous garment that provides the freedom of movement necessary for the traditional lifestyle which involves sitting on the floor and doing many household chores in a squatting position. The skirt also provides body coverage that retains body heat and modesty in Korea's traditional Confucian society.
 Women's pants gradually evolved into bloomer-like undergarments in the Shilla period. They wore a hybrid pant-skirt undergarment called the son-gun or malgun then; in the late sixteenth century women began to wear the tansokkot, (bloomers with front and back openings), and the bloomers in use today are known as the gojaeng-i. Women's undergarments were often layered. Petticoats, or sok ch'ima, made a woman's hanbok seem fuller. Since the petticoat often peeked through the folds of the hanbok at the back or at the hem, women took special care to sew finer fabric or embroidery to the back and hems of their petticoats.



The durumagi or topcoat is a modern version of the Korean woman’s top-coat. It is made of navy-blue satin which has a white dong-jung, a band of white fabric which has been stiffened with paper around the neck line.


As revealed in the Goguryo murals, the long overcoat, turumagi or Top’o has been part of the Korean wardrobe since ancient times. These over-garments were originally worn to fend off the winter cold, but as time passed, they were included in a growing category of ceremonial attire, and later adapted for use by the general population. The overcoats were similar to the chogori, but their tie-closures were higher on the chest and did not overlap with the closure of the chogori.

The Turumagi was standard attire for royalty, courtiers and government officials and were worn by commoners on special occasions and for family rites. The white hemp top'o has long been a symbol of the gentleman-scholar and remains a matter of pride for the people of the Andong region where many old yangban families still live. The top'o is like the turumagi except it is cut more fully and is usually made of the finest hemp cloth from the Andong area.

Let us now go back in history and trace the origins of the Hanbok.
Although some of the basic elements of today's Hanbok and its accessories were probably worn at very early days in Korean history, today's two-piece costume did not begin to evolve until the Three Kingdom’s period (57 B.C- 668 A.C.) when the kingdom of Goguryo, Baekje, and Silla dominated the Korean peninsula. This is still clearly evident in the Mural paintings of Susani and Ssanggyeong-Chong Burial Mounds from the fourth to the sixth centuries in the Goguryo dynasty. Women's Hanbok at that time was composed of colorful skirts and jackets with narrow sleeves, and the left side overlapped  the right and was long enough to reach the hips. The collar and sleeves of the jacket had very sophisticated flower designs. Also in Goguryo, there were occasions when women wore long trousers inside the pleated skirt and topped by a long coat. The jackets of  the men's costumes in Goguryo was long enough to reach the hips and its sleeves were narrow as well. Men's Hanbok, which was accompanied by trousers, was decorated with flower designs, too. In addition, both men and women wore boot-like footwear. Such garments were probably inspired by the harsh northern climate and a nomadic lifestyle centered on horse riding. Moreover, due to geopolitical factors, it seems that the Hanbok was affected by the Chinese dress style.

Originally in the era of the Three Kingdoms they wore outfits consisting of two pieces which was ‘unisex’. The top was opened in front and ended just below the waist which was tied off with a belt. Interestingly enough an older style garment had opening flaps starting on the top right and slanting towards the left diagonally.

The oldest form of hanbok can be seen in tomb mural paintings from the Goguryo Kingdom (37 B.C.-668 A.D.). In these murals, both men and women wear an upper garment of the jeogori or “jacket” type over trousers or a skirt, though the cut of the costume differs noticeably according to social status or occupation. During the Goguryo Dynasty, the Chima was shortened and was hiked up above the waist and tied at the chest with a long, wide ribbon which has remained the fashion ever since. The Chogori was also shortened and its sleeves were curved slightly. At the same time, women began to wear their hair in plaits and men began shaving their head except for a patch in the middle.

The basic feature of the hanbok from this period is that the male and female versions are similar, each comprising of an upper and a lower garment. However, by the middle of the Goguryo era the fashion direction changed and it's still prevalent today with a flap on the right side for the male garments and the flap on the left side for the female garments
As time passed by, the culture of Korea picked up clothing elements from the Chinese culture, which included long scarves, gilded hairpins, sleeveless shirts as well the headdress and coats. Silk clothing and accessories became increasingly popular in those days. When short clothing gave way to waist-length clothing the belts were replaced with tie strings for the coats. During the Tang Dynasty clothing went back to its simple and frugal roots reflecting the rustic beauty of this agricultural land.

The next stage arrived when cotton fabric was introduced to the country. The people’s clothes became more regulated and in fact uniforms were created for the palace staff for the first time in the Korean history.

In present day Korea, the numerous layers found on the robe are long, but suspended just above the ground to keep it neat and tidy. There are multiple layers of clothing underneath to make it a heavy garment and the tight rectangular sleeves hang right off the edge of the cuff and are fairly long as well.

As time went by female entertainers were to provide the main influence on the evolving hanbok, while the male garment was influenced by overseas military missions and an influx of foreign culture like those found in the West and other parts of Asia. Today one can see that the hanbok retains the pants, the outer coat and the skirt.

To those of you who share this passion of mine for the Hanbok I would recommend that you watch the drama ‘Hwang Jini’ because the Hanboks worn by the main actresses are really beautiful and you can see a sample of the lifestyle of the ‘female entertainers’ during the Joseon period.


       

There is a hanbok worn during rites of passage. Examples include the baenaet jeogori worn by newborn infants, the hwarot (loose robe decorated with peonies) worn by a bride as the bride presents gifts to her new parents-in-law, wonsam (ritual attire worn by a woman), and jokduri (black, silk headpiece worn by women), hairpieces, daenggi (pigtail ribbons). During traditional weddings, the man wears a large robe known as a dallyeong over his other clothing, a gakdae (traditional belt) and samo (tall cap with round projections of the left and right).
During funerals, the corpse is clothed in special attire. The clothing design is the same as that of weddings, but natural-colored hemp is used instead. Women from the deceased person's family wear white skirts and coats. There is a special attire worn during all traditional rituals and related events.


In traditional Korean garments, color is used symbolically. White garments, which the Korean people have always been very fond of, indicate the Koreans' simple and pure aesthetic sense. White was the basic color most widely used by the common people. It symbolized a modest and pure spirit. Red signified good fortune and wealth and thus was used in woman's wedding garments. Indigo, the color of constancy, was used for the skirt of court ladies and the official coats of court officials. Black, symbolizing infinity and the fountainhead of all creation, was used for men's hat. Yellow, which represented the center of the universe, was used for royal garments. Common people were forbidden to wear yellow. These five colors were also firmly established as symbols of the four directions and the center of the universe and order of the universe.

Color plays an important part in the choice of material for the making of the Hanbok. It is said that people often guess the age, the hope, and the desire of Hanbok wearers through the colors and the symbols painted on the Chima and the Chogori. For instance, middle-age women wear green Chogori with a yellow or light green skirt. The older people wear light green or light gray Chogori and dark green Chima to express their wishes for longevity. To newly-wed women, pink and violet skirts convey their hope to have a healthy son and a beautiful daughter. The sleeves with five color lines symbolize earth, wood, fire, metal and water- the five physical substances of which the universe was believed to be composed  of(according to ancient Chinese philosophy). Through this, the wearer’s desire of having an everlasting happy family is revealed.

 

Young women, in former days, usually wore red Chima and yellow Chogori before marriage. Red Chima with green Chogori were worn on three occasions: after the wedding reception, during the bowing ceremony to their parents-in- law, and when they are paying deep respect to the parents upon returning from honeymoon. However, women today usually wear pink Hanbok for engagement ceremonies. They also wear a Western-style wedding gown. They wear the traditional red skirt and green jacket after the wedding especially when they greet their parents-in-law after the honeymoon. On other occasions, they wear Hanbok of almost all colors (except white) and other cloths including embroidered, hand-painted, or gold-stamped silk. White is mostly worn by old people and usually used for mourning.

Koreans generally wear white Hanbok made of coarse hemp cloth as a mourning dress to express their sorrow for their deceased parents. By wearing it for three years, one can show his filial devotion to his beloved parents.

  
The traditional-style Hanbok worn today derives from the ones worn during the Confucian-oriented Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). The yangban, a hereditary aristocratic class based on scholarship and official position, rather than on wealth, wore brightly colored Hanbok of plain and patterned silk in cold weather. Closely woven ramie cloth or other high grade, light-weight fabrics are wore in warmer seasons. During those times, commoners were restricted by law as well as their economic condition to bleach hemp and cotton and could only wear white, sometimes light pink, light green, or grey.

The curve of the sleeves, the beauty of the bow, and the skillfully-trimmed collar are the most important things to know if a Hanbok is beautiful or not. An attractive and charming Hanbok not only makes Korean women nicer but also is one of the elements to judge whether the wearer is skillful and has a good sense of art or not. To avoid revealing the undergarments while walking, the left side of Chima should be held. And women ought to pay much attention to this.

Without accessories, the ensemble of Hanbok is not complete. Korean women used to spend long hours embroidering hair ribbons of colorful and sophisticated patterns, of sewing silk purses called pokjumony. For men, the two most important accessories include a hat made of horse hair and a wrap-around-the-chest silk ribbon. Korean men, however, no longer wear these today.

The early rulers of Joseon replaced Buddhism with Confucianism in order to counter the dominant Buddhist influence during the Goguryo period. Since then, Confucianism entered almost all aspects of the daily life and became Joseon's national religion. It is Confucianism and its emphasis on formality and etiquette dictated the style of dress for the royal family and all the members of the court as well as for aristocrats and commoners for all type of occasions, including weddings and funerals.

During this dynasty, under the great effect of Confucianism, integrity in men and chastity in women became the most important social values and was also reflected in the way people dressed.



Men's Hanbok changed very little. However, women's bore great changes over the centuries. In the early days of the Joseon dynasty, women wore Hanbok characterized by the waist-length jacket. Its collar and sleeves were colorfully decorated with peony designs and the pleated skirt was long enough to be raised.

As time passed by, however, the Chogori was gradually shortened until it just covered the breasts, making it necessary to reduce the fullness of the Chima so that it could be extended almost to the armpits and this remains the fashion today.  Hanbok, a very artistic costume with its beautiful lines, is still considered as clothing that emphasizes good manners in the country of courteous people in the East.

  

Behind the Hanbok's gracefulness is the priceless value of culture and life. The wearers' wishes and sense of art are shown in their Hanbok. As mentioned earlier, the color of the Chogori and the Chima can tell us about their ordinary but lofty desires. These can be longevity, happy marriage, or nice and pretty children. Through the colors, people can also learn about the wearers' age, marital status, etc. The slimness and elegance of the woman in contrast with her roomy Hanbok accentuate her gracefulness, tenderness, and chastity.

There are other philosophical principles behind the Hanbok. As influenced by Confucianism and the 5-element philosophy, Koreans’ traditional dresses are designed in a way that Korean women’s courtesy is accentuated. The five lines in five different colors on the Hanbok’s sleeves represent metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. This carries the dream of Koreans for a happy life. After many ups and downs in Korea‘s history, and in spite of the modifications in its design, Hanbok remains the nation’s cultural heritage. The Hanbok has been well-preserved and constantly being improved throughout the continuous processes of history. Wearing the Hanbok, the Korean’s heart is filled with the pride of their nations’ glorious history.

    

On 29^th August 2009 a Hanbok Fashion Show featuring the designs of Korea’s top names in traditional attire: Lee Young-hee, Shin Suk-yeong, and Lee Seo-yun was held at the National Museum in Yongsan. Here are some of the pictures sourced from:- http://www.feetmanseoul.com/ Wish I could have been there, I would have loved it.

          



If you still would like to know more about the Hanbok do visit the Hanbok Museum in Seoul at 74 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul . But please take note that this museum is not open daily. It is only open every first &; third Saturday of the month from 10:00am -17:00 pm. The Hanbok Museum is situated just opposite to the street from Gyeongbok Palace ticketing booth to the main entrance. 

The Hanbok Museum is not only a museum showcasing  the Korean Hanbok; it has much more to offer; all events and the rites people pass through as they travel through the myriad journey of life from birth to death, and the proper adorning fitting to wear for all occasions. Here is the place where you get to act the perfect attester to the Korean conventional patterns of dressing and the perfect garb for particular demanding occasions. There are almost three hundred patterns on display by the famed Hanbok designer Lee Ri-Ja; some are ready to wear stuff that are easy to carry. There are also beautiful ornaments, miniscule articles, finding their perfect place of fame in the Hanbok Museum. The Hanbok Museum in Seoul is the perfect mouthpiece of Korean art and culture.

And with this I end my journey on the ‘Hanbok trail’. Hope you enjoyed yourselves. See you again.